Hydraulic swivel.



w. G. VREELAND.

HYDRAULIC SWIVEL.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.29, |916.

Patented Mar. 4, 1919.

v 2 sums-SHEET 1.

IN V EN TOR. WALT/EQ VEEELA ND A TTORNE Y.

65. J Wfm.

W. G. VREELAND. HYDRAULIC SWIVEL. APPLICATION FILED DEC.29, I9I6. 1,296,573. Patented Mar. 4,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR.

WAL T512 KffM/YD ATTORNEY.

El@ J WALTER. e. VEEELAND, 0E cEATTANooGA, TENNESSEE, ASsiGNon To LUcEmMANU- EACTUEING -coEPonATIoN, or GHATTANOQGA, TENNESSEE, n CORPORATION or TENNESSEE..

HYDEAULIQSWIVEL. Q

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, WALTER G. VREELAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chattanooga, in the county of Hamilton and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hydraulic Swivels, of which the following isa spec1- v ication.

mit the operation of the stem and-at the same time avoid any twisting in the cable.

Another object is to provi e by the apparatus may be used with a hollow drill stem throu h which water is. circulated to clear the borings from lthe drlll; and to provide the stationary element of the Swivel witha connection tothe water supply pipe. In carrying my invention into practice I provide a separate housing for the bearing,

entirely separate from the water passage, thus preventin any sand or grit entering the bearing, w 'ch has been the great disadvantage in swivels heretofore in use.

A further object of this invention consists in having the bearing in a separate casing where I locate and maintain a supply of lubricantvto the bearing, thereby keeping the bearing in the best working condition, and also providing means for introducing the lubricant to the bearing without taking apart any other parts ofthe Swivel.

still further object resides in the provision of means for taking up the wear on the upper lsurface of the drill stem, thus eliminating any upward play. of the'stem, and keeping the antifriction elements in lclose contact.

And a still further object of the invention resides in the provision of means whereby the bushing connecting the swivel stem with the drill stem can be locked to the swivel stemso that it cannot work loose or unscrew. With these and other objects in view, I

"will now proceed to describe a specific embodiment of the presentinvention which. I have found in practice to give good results, and which isV illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein:

1 is vertical cross section 'of swivel. i

Specification of Letters Patent. v

means where-- Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section of the Vupper part of the swivel,-taken at right angles to Fig. 1.

IFig. 3 is a plan of the Swivel.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a-horizontal section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1. l Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary section of the locking collar, taken at right angles to Fig. 1.

In detail:

As embodied in the accompanying'1 drawing, the swivel consists of an upper ousing 1 and a lower housing 2 connected together by means of bolts 3. 'The lower housing 2 has a central compartment or chamber 4out of which leads a pipe connecting element 5' to which is connected a socket 6 for connection to a flexible water supply pipe (not shown) .f Located in the compartment 4 adjacent the pipe 5 is a Huid deflectingelement 7, to prevent the incoming fluid from being swirled around the compartment by the centrifugal. force of the revolving stem.

AThe bushings 8 and 9 are fitted in the openings at both ends of the housing2. Glands 10 and 11 are fitted in both ends of the En STATES PATENT oEFICE.

vPatented Mar. 4, 1919.

, Application led December 29, 1916. Serial No. 139,567.

housing 2, and are provided with opposite v external lugs 12 and 13 respectively, through which pass adjusting Screws 14, the latter being threaded into both ends of the lower housing. Extending through both ends -oir'` the housing 2 `is a hollow stem 15 which pro# jects below the gland 11and is connected to the bushing or joint 16 which is threaded externally for connection to the drill rod l(not shown). Suitable packings 17 and 18 are interposed between the glands 10 and 11 and the bushings 8 and 9, so as to form water tight joints between the stem 15 and both ends of the lower housing.

' The upper portion of the stem 15 is solid and extends through the oplening in the upper housing 1, beyond which t e stem is enlarged in diameter as at its extreme end 19. Abushing 20 is tted in the opening of the housing 1 and embraces the stem.

A removable bonnet 21 is secured to the top of the housing 1 by means of the bolts 22 and isprovided in its inner Side with an annular seat 23.- Fastened to the upper side of the portion 19 of the stem is a wearing ring 24, the upper side of which comes in contact with the seat 23 of the bonnet. 'A

ring 25 is provided on the seat of the inner portion of the housing 1, and a ring 26 on the lower side of the portion 19 of the stem, therebeing antifriction elements 27 interposed between the rings 25 and 26; said ele- 'ments may consist of rollers, balls, cones, etc.

' per part of the housing 1 and the bonnet 21,

so that by adjusting the bolts 22 a Contact can be maintained.

In order that water may be introduced into the hollow stem, l' vprovide passagesv 34 in that portion of the stem l5 lying within the compartment 4, through which the water passes into the stem 15 and from thence to the drill rod. y

Connection between the swivel andthe cable (the latter'not shown) is provided for in the usual way by means of a bail link 35, which straddles the upper housing and engages the -trunnions 36, forming part of the upper housing, and is held in place by means of the plates 37 which are secured to the housing with the studs 38.

- To obviate the danger of the bushing 16 working loose or unscrewing when the drill Stem is being disconnected, I lprovide a collar 39 which is free to travel in one direction and becomes locked to the stem when turned in the opposite direction. The collar 39 is free to move longitudlnally on the stem 15 and is provided with lugs 40 which engage in the slots 41 in the upper face of the bushing 16. 0n the inner face of the collar 39, provide a recess or recesses.. .43

which have located' therein, rollers "42 heldv in positlon at top and bottom by the plates 44. lt will be seen that if the collar is tuirned so that the roller 42 is forced by l the cam-face ofthe recess or recesses toward the smaller end, the rollei' or rollers will press against the stem and thus stop further movement of the collar in relation to the stem. If the collar is turned in the opposite diection, there will be a free movement of the collar owing to the space between the face of the recess or recesses and the stem belng larger than the roller. Thus if the collar 39 is connected to the bushing 16 by means of the lugs 40 engaging in the slots 41, the collar can be arranged so that the locking eect will be obtained when the bushing tends to unscrew.

From the foregoing description it will be noted that the swivel is` divided into two separate units 1 and 2, the lower vrhousing taking care of the flow and passage of the fluid with no possible chance for the escape .of any fluid to the upper housing, while the upper housing takes care of the bearing beJ ltDween the rotating stem and the swivel memer 1. i 'l also provide means for retaining 4the bearing 1n a lubricated condition and maintaining the latter entirely in the upper housing.

I also provide means for taking up the wear on the extreme upperend of the stem, such wear being caused by what is known as spudding, and this is compensated for by simply renewing the ring 24, thus the replacement of any of the other parts of the swivel is rendered unnecessary.

The method which l employ to lock the bushing on the swivel stem isnovel, inasmuch as no preparation is necessary on the stem, such as threading or keying, to cooperate with the locking means.

While, in the foregoing, I have described a specic embodiment of the present invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that, in practice, l may resort to such modications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

l claims e LA hydraulic swivel comprising upper and lower housings, said upper housing havf ing a-removable bonnet, a swivel stem having its upper end enlarged to form the up# per seat of a swivel bearing with the upper housing, a wearing ring interposed between the bonnet and the stem, the lower portion of the stem having atleast one passage and projecting through the lower housing and said passage forming communication between the housing and the stem.

2. A hydraulic swivel comprising upper Y and lower housings, thelatter having a water-inlet'` .the vupper .housing having aremovable and adjustable bonnet, a swivel stem having its upper end enlarged to form f the upper seat of a swivel bearing with the upper housing, antifriction elements interposed between said stem and housing, wearing rings located between said enlarged end and said housing, antifriction members located between said rings, a wearing ring between the upper end of stem and lsaid bon' net, .the lower portion of said stem having a passage and projecting through the lower housing and provided with` openings `:tor communication between the water-inlet and said passage. l

3. A hydraulic swivel comprising upper and lower housings, the latter having a water inlet, a swivel Stem having its upper end enlarged to formethe seat of a bearing with the upper housing and the lowerpor'- tion of said stem provided with passages for communication between. the interior of the In testimony whereof I have hereunto set lower housing` and the mterior of the stem, my hand in the presence of two subscribing andv a deflectmg element located in the intewitnesses.

rior of the lower housing for preventing n- WALTER G. VREELAND. 5 coming` fluid vfrom being swiveled around Witnesses:

the compartment of the lower housing by H. L. THATCHER,

the centrifugal force ofthe revolving stem. L. C. KENYON. 

